Dominic (Benedetti Brothers, Book 2)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

NATASHA KNIGHT

Goodreads synopsis: Dominic I was the boy who would never be king. The monster who could never be loved. Gia was just a job. Just another girl caught in a world of monsters. It didn’t matter that I liked the look of her. I didn’t care that she cringed when she saw my soul. I liked it. I liked her fear. And I wanted her. Monsters didn’t get to live happily ever after, though. I knew one day I’d have to go back. Because time neither forgave nor forgot. And neither did I. Old debts needed to be settled. Enemies punished. It was past time I returned to the family business. I’d been gone far too long.

Gia All my life, I believed in fairy tales. Not the Disney kind. Never those. I always knew life was darker than that. I was the daughter of a foot soldier. The sister of a snitch. A nobody. Monsters had been part of my life for as long as I could remember, but none as dark as Dominic Benedetti. None as cruel. None as broken. I had no illusions about what he was. I had no desire to save his soul. And I couldn’t care about his bleeding heart. But love isn’t always beautiful. It could be a twisted, ugly bitch. I’d always known this was the kind I’d find. The only kind that could touch me. Because some of us, we belonged in the dark. And Dominic and I belonged in the dark. 

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Fear has a distinct smell, something that belongs only to it.

My thoughts: Mafia romance in general does not appeal to me. But I read the first book in this series because I'm a fan of the author, and I really enjoying it, and bought this second book. In my review of SALVATORE, I noted that “the premise is a little horrifying”. Well, let me tell you, the premise of this follow up is a LOT horrifying. In fact, I really did not see how Dominic was going to be a romance book hero. But to be fair, Ms. Knight does warn readers in an author's note that “you won't think him a hero, not for a long time, maybe not ever...”. And the further I got into the book the more I did like Dominic, and I sure wanted him to have redemption and a happy ever after.

But here's the difference between Dominic and his brother. Salvatore wanted out of the life. Out of the family business. Dominic wanted to run the family business. Redemption? Where Gia is concerned, yes, he does redeem himself. And he vows that her hands will stay clean. He will shield her from the dark side of his life. But when the book ends and they get their HEA, he's still a mobster.

But again, the author gave us that warning, so despite my disappointment that he did not make the break to a normal family life as Salvatore did, I'm giving the book the same rating I gave the first book – four stars. And I intend to read SERGIO, which I bought with this book, and then I'll probably buy GIOVANNI as well.

And, oh yeah, as with everything I've read from Ms. Knight, gripping, captivating,and steamy!

     

 

Why Did You Lie?

YRSA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR

Translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb

Goodreads synopsis: A journalist on the track of an old case attempts suicide. An ordinary couple return from a house swap in the states to find their home in disarray and their guests seemingly missing. Four strangers struggle to find shelter on a windswept spike of rock in the middle of a raging sea. They have one thing in common: they all lied. And someone is determined to punish them...WHY DID YOU LIE is a terrifying tale of long-delayed retribution from Iceland's Queen of Suspense.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Hodder Paperbacks, 2017.

How acquired: Via BookCrossing.

My thoughts: A new to me author, and I think this is the first time I've read an Icelandic author or a book set in Iceland. The short chapters alternate between three separate storylines. We have a photojournalist who tagged along on a helicopter trip to a remote lighthouse where his three traveling companions will be making repairs. Then we have a police officer whose husband is in a coma after a failed suicide attempt. And then a family who've just returned home after a house swap vacation with a Florida couple. The house swap storyline was the most interesting to me, as the family found items the American couple left behind, and some odd behavior on their security cameras,and began to worry that something happened to the Americans when they're unable to get ahold of them.

The narrative is slowly paced and there isn't much action. There were a few spots where the wording seemed a little unnatural or uneven, but otherwise the translation came across well. I was constantly wondering how the three storylines would eventually link together. And then when they did, boy howdy! The pace suddenly picked up, or maybe I was just reading faster. I was on my couch last night reading when my daughter called me and I jumped when my phone went off.

In the last quarter of the book there were some twists and turns, none of which I saw coming. And even after I'd turned the last page, I was left with a sense of foreboding, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. But I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author. 

Also, here's a link to the lighthouse, or to a similar lighthouse, where part of the story is set: http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/watch-incredible-video-stunning-thridrangar-lighthouse-south-iceland! 
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